Christmas rewind

We had a fun filled several days with Justin's family. The girls got to sample their first bagel at Starbucks (and I got to drink lots of yummy coffee). I also got to do some personal shopping for aunt Zonia- I love shopping, especially when my partner (victim?) is willing to try a bunch of stuff on.

Christmas Eve was a lot of fun- both the girls were a bit cranky though. Audrey wasn't feeling well, and ended up getting a Christmas tooth.

The girls received so many fun presents- we have enjoyed trying out their new toys!

new year, new goals part two

In my previous post on goals, I mentioned working out a minimum of 5 days per week. Here are a few other goals that are important to me:

1. Monitor time sucks and stop using the excuse "I don't have time". Those 4 words are one of my biggest pet peeves- of course I fall victim to using that phrase (probably more than I even realize) but more often than not, I do have time... the more likely reason for not doing something is that it isn't a priority right now, or there is something else I would rather be doing. I think it is important for me to monitor time sucks (which can be tv, the internet, a fun organizational project, anything really...). The girls go to bed by 6:30 pm (I like to be in bed by 10) which means that I have 3.5 blissful hours of me time. I like to devote 15 minutes to a quick tidying session, and 15-30 minutes to working out (longer on the occasion that I actually do make it to the gym) which still leaves me with quite a bit of free time in the evening. I used to watch a lot of tv- nowadays the tv is usually on (probably a bad habit, but I like the company) but there are only a few shows that I actually sit down and watch (thank heavens for the dvr). Anyways, the point of this goal is to prioritize and use time wisely (and yes, sometimes hanging out on Pinterest is a priority).

2. Continue to get rid of ten items per day. Originally the plan was to do this for 40 days, but perhaps I can do it indefinitely? The ten items can be anything really- paper clutter, expired make up, hair products that missed the mark- getting rid of a few small things can make a big difference. I think that your home needs room to breathe and areas free of clutter (just don't go looking in the spare bedroom aka baby storage room or under the steps... the garage either for that matter). Also- don't keep something just because it was a gift- we have all given gifts the recipient wasn't crazy about (true story, I thought I was giving my cousin (and also one of my very best friends) an awesome gift with the new Spice Girls cd- apparently I missed the memo that the Spice Girls were so 1996... at any rate, because she was honest with me about my less than stellar gift she was able to exchange it for something better... maybe the Hanson cd?). And while I'm on this don't keep it just because tangent, don't keep something just because it belonged to a relative (no, I'm not telling you to throw out your family heirlooms...). Lets say you received Great Aunt Edna's knitting needles. You would rather gouge your eyes out with those suckers than try learn how to knit. But maybe your cousin/aunt/etc is super crafty? Or just likes to hoard things? See if you can pass it on to someone who appreciates the item and can actually put it to good use.

3. Be judicious about the items I bring into our home. Long before Tim Gunn was telling us to make it work, depression era women were telling us to make do. Before buying some highly specific solution to an issue, see if something you already have around the house. The only special baby proofing supplies we got were outlet covers (we already had the gate because of our dogs). Things were going pretty well, until Audrey and Claire decided that they would like to play in our cupboards. And they would crawl over to said cupboards about 3,237 times per day. Fearing that my hair would turn prematurely grey, I had to come up with a solutions. Much to my surprise, a pony tail holder did the trick. I would also love to buy all of the super awesome specialized organizers, but I'm finding that some things we already have around the house work great- for example, an empty formula container houses my nail polish collection.

Claire, testing out our baby proofing skills.

I am also a major sucker for a deal- especially clothes! But I've found that ending up with something that is purchased just for the sake of the bargain that isn't flattering/lifestyle appropriate, etc is a huge waste. A few of my rules for successful clothing purchases: a. Only buy things I love. This seems obvious, but sometimes I'll buy things that I'm just "meh" about and end up never wanting to wear them, hoarding them away in my closet until the appropriate time has passed, and donating them. This situation can be avoided by purchasing things I love, even if I have to spend a few more dollars up front. b. Only buy things that look good on me. Again, this seems obvious, but at times I have bought things that were less than flattering. c. Be able to wear it at least 2 different ways. d. Not already own something similar- you should be able to wear all of your outfits two days in a row without your coworkers doing a double take wondering if you wore the same top twice in a row.


4. Establish a cleaning schedule. I love organizing, but loathe cleaning. As a result, things like dusting and washing the floor go sorely neglected. I'm a major routine person, so I think coming up with some guidelines such as "on Fridays we wash sheets" will help.

5. Keep on making freezer meals. These have been a life saver- Justin and I made a huge batch about 2 months ago and have been enjoying them ever since! It took us about 2 hours to assemble everything, but was actually kind of fun, and really a couple of hours for about 20 meals is an excellent return on investment. I also want to keep on finding quick and easy recipes- today I made a chicken parm that was pretty tastey- it was a little bit of oil and italian seasonings, chicken, pasta sauce, cheese, and home made croutons (sooo easy to make and much more delicious than any of the store bought stuff I've tried).

Claire and Audrey are also working on a few goals for the new year. Here is their list:

1. Ditch the middle of the night bottle

2. Master using sippy cups

3. Sleep all the way through the night 6 out of 7 nights (because you know, the best goals are specific and measurable).

4. Get rid of the pacifier (Audrey uses her paci at naptime and bedtime. During the day she'll plop it in her mouth if available, but doesn't protest if I remove it).

5. Learn how to walk (although Justin and I would not be sad if they waited until they were a year old before they crossed this milestone off the list... they move quick enough already!).

6. Say "mama" and "dada". The girls babble constantly, and have made a few noises that sound like mama/dada, but I don't think they have connected the meaning yet.

check those hard to reach cabinets

You'll be amazed with what you might find. Like these gems:

Purchased for Justin's 21st birthday (aka nearly a decade ago). The scarier truth is that these little beauties have made it through at least 5 moves (the angostura bitters I also bought as part of his gift pack also were moved 5 times and used 0 times... you would think after 3 or 4 moves and no clue how to use the bitters we would have ditched them, but oh no... better hold out for lucky number 5) On the bright side, I found a candy bar I had forgotten about (don't worry, that was only purchased a week or two ago).

stage five clinger

Audrey has a new tooth coming in and wants to be attached to me. Constantly. If anyone else (even Justin) is holding her and she sees me, she immediately holds out her hands for me to pick her up. In order to look presentable for our Christmas celebration yesterday, I had to wear her. I only have a few more days of vacation, so hopefully Audrey is ready to bond with daddy by the time I go back to work.

new year, new goals

Each year I like to think of a few goals to work on. Some are short term, and others I've been working on most of my life. Last year, my number one priority was to make it as close to my induction date as possible- the girls were born 2 days before schedule... It was a happy surprise. I have a few different goals in mind this year- I will be sharing them to help keep myself accountable. 

I will exercise a minimum of 5 times per week. Length of the workout isn't important, it is more about getting back into a routine. Prepregnancy I was able to make it to the gym about 5 days per week for classes that were about an hour each. Right now it isn't feasible to spend that much time away from home- I'm lucky to make it to the gym once per week! But I am equipped with a few new workout DVDs and a plan. I've found that as my life has been filled with more responsibilities, it is easy to say that "I don't have time" which is a total cop out- which brings me to goal number two- monitoring "time sucks@ and limiting excuses- more on that later- it deserves its own post.

What are some goals you are working on? Share in the comments below.

like mother, like daughter

Audrey has totally got this mise en place thing down. The coffee table was the perfect place to store her bottle when she took a play break.

The girls received lots of fun new toys for Christmas, so I packed away a Rubbermaid tote of things they have outgrown or don't use much. There will be another rummage sale coming up this spring, so I will sell most of the stuff then. It is amazing how quickly the girls outgrow things!

christmas fun

The girls had a fabulous first christmas- we started the fun on Saturday when we attended my cousin's wedding. This was the second wedding the girls have attended. Audrey befriended the flower girl- it was cute watching them interact. Claire and Audrey also got to hang out with Cameron, Easton, and Ava.

That evening Amanda and I exchanged gifts and sampled (devoured?) wine and Vosges chocolates (my mom has been getting gourmet treats from her cousin for the past several years- it is one of my favorite holiday traditions). 

The next morning we had brunch and opened presents. The girls got a bunch of fun stuff, but these beauties are a definite favorite:

Who needs pottery barn when you have Grandma Lu? They also posed with their lovely Christmas stockings:

We then packed up and headed across the state to visit Justin's family- I'll do another post on those celebrations- we have had a very fun filled past few days!

this is why we don't fold clothes

This all goes down in about 45 seconds (Claire was helping). Baby tsunami. I'm afraid of what life will be like when the girls start walking.

serious business

Audrey takes playing seriously. Very seriously.

I was able to get her to crack a smile:

hoarder

I'm constantly trying to become more organized. I found something on Pinterest that recommended getting rid of 10 items per day for 40 days... Hello to 400 less pieces of junk! 

I decided to tackle the master bedroom first- I stopped counting how many items I tossed, but here are the results:

Lots of receipts shoved into purses, socks without mates, and random paper clutter. Like this:

And this. From 2001.

But in all the clutter, there were a few gems, like this card:

Who knew absolutely incredible kid day was a thing? I'm sure my grandma gave a card to all her grand kids, but I bet I'm the only one who squirreled it away for all these years.

baby tornado

more fun with organization

I've been on a bit of a home organization kick lately. If only I enjoyed cleaning half as much as my little projects...

Up first was switching around storage in the kitchen cabinets.

We went from this:

(Yes, that is jenga you see stored in a kitchen cupboard... It has been moved downstairs where it belongs)

To this:

I then had some free cabinet space to play around with:

I want to get storage containers to house all my baking supplies- it would be a lot easier to track how much flour and what not I have if it was stored in a clear container.

While the girls were napping, an idea for purse storage popped into my head. It involved a table runner that I bought in my college days that was sitting in the goodwill pile and a hanger... Pretty simple, right?

All I needed was a scissors! No needle, thread, or hot glue gun required. I had enough fabric to make two of these handy dandy contraptions, so now my purse and diaper bag are kicked off the kitchen table and have a home in the entry closet. 

I am obsessed with the container store and am convinced I could spend a months salary there in a matter of minutes, but I love it when I can come up with easy solutions that are free or inexpensive.

Have any tips I should know about? Share them in the comments!

you gotta roll with it

My kitchen linen cabinet has been the bane of my existence since moving in. It was overstuffed and just a downright disaster. I took to my trusty friend google for organizing tips, thinking perhaps there was some sort of fancy system I could pine over, but the most common solution was to roll your towels. I was skeptical, but figured worst case scenario I would waste 15 minutes, so I gave it a shot. I really should have taken a before picture, but here are the results:

Both shelves had been completely stuffed prior to my rolling. I was admiring the nearly empty shelves, but then remembered my cookbooks that had been relegated to the basement. I keep all of the cloth napkins in our guest room dresser, so I decided it would make sense for the tea lights and napkin rings to join them. For the first time ever, my cookbooks are living in the kitchen!

Even better news? I remembered the cookbook holder I bought on super clearance at target a few years back... It was a great idea in theory, but due to space constraints had to be on our highest pantry shelf... One that I need a step stool to access (most other shelves I can access by climbing on the counter... a habit I suppose I soon must break).

At any rate, I am quite pleased with the results, and  thrilled to have found an organizing solution that required no supplies.

Wow. I get really excited about this stuff. Congratulations if you've stuck with me this far... Now here are a few pics of the girls:

thanksgiving

Due to work schedules we celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday this year. It actually worked out quite well, as this way I had all day Thursday to prep.

I used my trusty dry erase board as a way to stay organized- seeing everything helped me have a game plan for getting everything cooked. 

I actually ended up doing a lot of the prep on Thursday- I did the desserts and also made the mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and sweet potatoes. I also set the table and got the serving dishes prepped on Thursday. Friday was actually quite relaxed- I only needed to prep the green beans, carrots, and stuffing and warm the items I made ahead of time up in the oven. I totally felt like I earned my good housekeeping seal of approval- everything was done within minutes of each other (which is no small feat for me) and I didn't get stressed at all.

I love having a properly set table with linens and napkin rings, but I only seem to do it for the holidays. Perhaps I'll try make it a more regular occurrence- it just elevates the whole experience with minimal effort.

foodies

I have budding foodies on my hands- the girls love flavor! Cumin, red pepper flakes, ginger... They love it all!

Recent creations include homemade "goldfish"

I'm currently making gingerbread apple waffles- they are delicious!

updates

The girls have been busy lately! They are crawling all over the place and pulling themselves up and standing too.

The girls are a bit more interested in playing independently now- they will crawl from room to room and find something to entertain themselves with. Favorite activities include pulling all of the clothes out of their drawers, taking their shoes off the shelves, and pulling all of their toys out of the toy baskets.

The girls still love bath time! I give them a bath almost every night- it gives me a chance to sit down and take a break. In the evening when they start to get a bit cranky, I put them in the tub for an instant attitude adjustment.

They are willing to eat almost everything. Yesterday we went out for lunch and Claire loved black beans and enchilada soup- she is such an adventurous little eater... which shocks me, as back in her newborn days, we routinely had to strip her down to her diaper to get her to finish her bottle. Audrey will try almost any food, but she doesn't have the same enthusiasm for meal time that Claire does. I've heard that once they hit the toddler stage kids tend to become very picky, but hopefully we can keep their good food habits going.

sleep training

My most recent post on sleep was from about a week ago. Two days ago we finally decided to listen to the pediatrician's advice and try sleep training. They both cried for about 10 minutes, then got up for a 5 am bottle and then slept again until 8:30! I didn't have quite as stellar results last night, but Claire was only up once versus every hour- definitely an improvement!

I'll sleep when they are 30?

We've had a bit of sleep regression in this house with miss Claire. She will be happy if she is being held, but put her back in her crib and she screams. 

I texted my cousin my idea that in 29 years I will get a good nights sleep (2 am texts are acceptable when you are a newly minted 21 year old or new mom) Her response was that when the girls are my age they'll have grand kids to keep me up.

Maybe I'll sleep when I'm 70?

broccoli, cheddar, and sweet potatoes, oh my!

I've been trying new recipes for the girls lately. Tonight I made broccoli cheddar patties and they are delicious (and easy)! Steam some cubed sweet potato and broccoli, mash it up, throw in some cheese and mix in a beat egg. Then form into patties and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. I'm not even a huge sweet potato fan, but Iove these!

I'm on a mission to kick my nasty junk food habit. For the next week (maybe longer?) if I wouldn't feed it to the girls I'm not eating it (with the exception of beverages). Here's to some adventurous snacking!

fake out

Trying the pediatrician's advice and replacing Audrey's night time bottle with water.

Somehow I'm guessing letting her get super cozy in your bed wasn't part of her sleep training solution. #babysteps

Happy Halloween

Better late than never? I wrote this on Halloween but it failed to publish.

Cousin Cameron came to visit and we had fun shopping.

apple bars

Today I whipped up a batch of apple bars (adapted from a recipe on allthingsgd.com). They were super simple to make and were delicious- the babies and adults alike loved them! I will definitely add this to my cooking repertoire- especially when this was the reaction I got from the babies:

9 months

The girls had their 9 month well-baby visit yesterday. It is hard to believe that the next time they see their doctor (barring any illness) they will be a year old! The girls keep on creeping up the growth chart- Claire was 16 lbs 12 oz (26th %) and 26.5 inches (12th %). Audrey was 22 lbs 4 oz (93rd%) and 28 3/4 inches.

Size wise, Claire is in mostly 9 month outfits (although I have a few 6 month items that she still wears). Audrey has moved into 18 month sizes for the most part... she was in 12 month sleepers for about a week, but then they got too difficult to zip up. Thankfully Claire should be able to use them. Audrey seems to skip sizes... she really jumped from 3 month clothes to 9 months, and now from 9 months to 18. Good thing I have two babies so everything gets worn :) 

The doctor said that there is no reason for the girls to be getting up for night feedings, and suggested letting them cry it out. I gave it a go last night, but I couldn't let them cry for more than five minutes. I did however listen to her suggestion of getting them water in their bottles... Audrey didn't seem to notice the difference.

Claire and Audrey are now ready to start table foods- it is kind of scary, but the doctor said that the girls should be eating whatever we are eating... time to get some meal ideas from Pinterest!

dolls

The girls have acquired quite the collection of dolls. I decided it was time to give them names. 

Starting with Claire we have Chloe, Amelia, Isla, Lila, and Madeleine. I also have it on good authority that Santa is bringing the girls another doll for Christmas, I'll have to start brainstorming more names.

new shoes

My awesome new shoes arrived in the mail today- I love them! They are sperry Pennington (available at Nordstroms) and are super comfortable!

I wear flats constantly these days and love that they make a statement. I also spied the most perfect pair of nude pumps at tj maxx the other day and am contemplating those, but in the last 2 months, I've bought 5 (okay, six...) pairs of shoes, and realize that is more than some people own, so we'll see what I end up doing. I also really want a pair if riding boots (hint hint Justin) so I'll have to decide what I want the very most (if this was a multiple choice test the answer would be all if the above!)

organized baby

Lately I've been working on baby proofing and organizing- I find an organized home is much easier to child proof. I have delusions of being the second coming of Martha Stewart (minus all those pesky legal issues) but in reality my home making skills are probably only a notch or two above Peg Bundy.

Having a semi organized home helps me keep my sanity (I detest clutter... although it isn't always obvious). Enter my current bffs- baskets, trays, and empty cabinets.

Rather than put locks on the cabinets, we decided to put our cleaning products out of reach- the basket helps the assortment of cleaners look more presentable... but here is my moment of pure genius- I left the cabinet under the sink empty, so when I want to spruce up the countertops it is as simple as moving a basket... come to think of it, now there is room for Justin's espresso maker too (I hate having two coffee making devices on the counter! As an aside, once in an organizing frenzy, I attempted to hide the toaster in a cabinet... Justin was not impressed).

Next up is my buddy the tray:

This helps keep the girls' formula, snacks, and face wipes corralled. There is also a super cute anthropologie bowl I received from Amanda that houses pacifiers and teethers. Our supply of pacifiers has dwindled, but I refuse to buy more, as I am half attempting to wean Audrey from them... If one is sitting around she will use it, but doesn't protest if it is taken away, so I figure out of sight out of mind (but easy for mom and dad to find in case of emergency).

Now for keeping bath time tidy:

When the girls used their infant tub, I stored all of their bath time paraphernalia in there. When they outgrew there tub I was in need of a new storage solution. This inexpensive laundry basket fit the bill- it is large enough to fit all their toys, plus can be hosed off in the event their baby wash leaks. The sink under the bathroom counter is also nearly empty, so the basket can be stored there if need be.

I don't have a picture of my final storage solution as I was going to risk waking the girls by snapping pics in their room, but if you go back to their closet post you can get a visual. Their top shelf in the closet houses diapers, wipes, and keepsakes... I figured why not add snacks? I purchased several puffs, but our pantry is full of other things that need to be immediately accessible (important stuff, like candy) so I decided to store them in the closet... Not the best long term solution, but it works for now.